Retractable pen device



FIG. l.

F. C. WALLACE Filed Jan. 10, 1949 RETRACTABLE PEN DEVICE FIG. 2.

l allll////f/hff March 4, 1952 Y Patented Mar. 4, 1952 Frank c. Wallaoo,North Hollywood, calif.

Application January 10, 1949, Serial No. 70,011

8 Claims. l My present invention has to do with improvements in pens andhas as its primary object the 'provision of a pen in which the writingelement is automatically protracted and retracted by gravity in responseto pointing the barrel either upwardly or downwardly.

Another Objectis to provide a lprotractable and retractable pen of thischaracter in which the writing element isautomatically locked inprotracted position by gravity movement of a lockingmember. A

Another object is to provide a protractable and retractable pen which isextremely simple and 4"economical of construction.

A further object is to provide a pen of this character which istsoconstructed as positively to prevent leakage of ink into a pocket inwhich the pen is being carried, and therefore requires no separate coveror sealing element for the writing end of the barrel.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

I shall now describe a presently preferred ern-` lbodiment of myinvention, for which .purpose I shall refer to the accompanying drawing,wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinalsection showing the writing element in retractedposition;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section showing the writing element lock-ed inprotracted position;

and

Figs. 3 and 4 are sections taken on line 3--3 and 4-4, respectively, ofFig. 2.

The pen has a barrel 5 which may be made of metal or plastic, the barrelbeing comprised of a lower or inner end portion 5d and an upper or outerend portion 5in-that is, por-tion 5d is the lower portion and 5b is theupper portion, when the writing element is retracted, although when `thewriting element is protracted portion 5d` be `cornes the upper portionand portion 5b becomes the lower portion. Said portions 5a, 5b aredetachably secured together by means of sleevelike insert 'I which isforce fitted into the open end of portion 5b, the sleeve having areduced diameter, externally threaded part 'ld` onto which the open endof portion 5a is threaded.

Barrel portion l5b has a pointed outer end, open at 9 to pass the outerpointed end l0 of a writing element such as a ball pen element i l Suchelements are of well known construction, comprising an ink tube l5having a writing ball I6 mounted to freely rotate in its outer end,

Barrel portion 5a has a relatively thickened lower end portion 20providing yan outwardly rfacing annular shoulder 2l, and a sleeve 25,

1z0-4ans) shaped to conform to the inner shape of the barrel, 'isfrictionally ttedinto barrel .portion 5a, providing `an annular shoulder26 against which the lower end of the writing element engages. A splitsleeve 24 resiliently engages the lower end of the tube, the sleevehaving an enlarged portion 2l to whieh is secured, as lby a screw 28,

an L-shaped member 30 having a depending arm 30d laterally offset fromthe axis of the ink tube. The portion 21 is toc large in diameter topass the shoulder 26 into the reduced diameter porti-on 25a of thesleeve 25.

The inner portion 2 5a of the sleeve provides a cage slidably confininga weighted locking `member 35. The locking member has a cylindricalportion a and a `reduced diameter hemispherical end portion 35o, anannular shoulder 35o being provided at the intersection of portions 35aand 35h.

A carrying clip is secured to the barrel portion 5b as by arivet 4|. x l

The device is shown in Fig. l in inverted or retracted position, whichris the normal `position in which the open is carried in the pocket. In

that position writing element Il drops into the barrel` by gravity, Yitsinward movement being arrested by the shoulder 26, and the lockingmember 35 normally rests against the flanged inner end 31 of the sleeve25. It will be apparent that when the parts are in that position it isimpossible for ink to leak from the pen unit into the Docket in whichthe pen` -is carried.

When it is desired to write with the pen, the

barrel is reversed end for end from the position of Fig. 1 to thatofFig.o2, in which latter position lthe open end of the barrel is disposeddownwardly. The writing element slides downwardly until the taperedportion of the pointed end of the writing element engages the innerperiphery of the opening 9, `in which position the ball I5 is exposedfor writing purposes. Simultaneously the locking member 35 slides bygravity in sleeve `25 until the arm 30a 'of element 3E! becomessandwiched between the `inner surface of the sleeve and the outersurface of the hemispherical portion 35h, the outer end of `the arm 33aabutting against the shoulder 35c.` Thus, inward pressure on the writingelement causes the writing element to bear at its inner end against theannular shoulder 26, preventing further inward movement of the writingelement until the barrel is again inverted into the position of Fig. 1or .into such position that the :parts will retract by shoulder 26 sothat when the penis again returned to the position of Fig. 1, the arm30a will readily slide downwardly past the shoulder 26 to permit instantretraction. The hemispherical shape of the portion 35h of the lockingmember also facilitates this free retractive action since it does nottend to wedge the arm 30a against the inner surface of the sleeve.

It will also be apparent that a pen maybe constructed very economicallyin accordance with my invention because it requires only a minimum ofsimple parts and assembly is greatly simplified.

I claim:

1. A pen device comprising a barrel open at its outer end, an elongatedwriting element mounted in the barrel to move axially by gravity throughsaid open outer end, means limiting axial movement of the writingelement relative to the barrel, said barrel having an interioroutwardlyl facing shoulder between its ends,an arm carried by the innerend of the writing element, said arm being laterally offset from theaxis of the writing 'element and projecting therefrom in a direction Yto pointing the outer end of the barrel upwardly.

2. A pen device comprising a barrel open at its outer end, an elongatedwriting element nounted in the barrel to move axially by gravity throughsaid open outer end, means limiting axial movement of the writingelement relative to the barrel, said barrel having an interior outwardly4'facing shoulder between its ends, an arm carried `by the inner end ofthe writing element, said arm being laterally offset from the axis ofthe writing4 element and projecting therefrom in a ,direction towardsthe inner end of the barrel, a weight member mounted in the inner endportion of the barrel to move axially thereof by gravity, said weightmember having a hemispherical outer end portion engageable against thearm to urge the arm against the inner surface of the barrel Yat a pointoutwardly from the shoulder when the outer end of the barrel is pointeddownwardly, and being disengageable therefrom in response to pointingthe outer end of the barrel upwardly.

3. A pen device comprising a barrel open at its outer end, an elongatedwriting element mounted in the barrel to move axially by gravity throughsaid open outer end, means limiting axial movement of the writingelement relative to the barrel, said barrel having a bevelled interioroutwardly facing shoulder between its ends, an arm carried by the innerend of the writing element, said arm being laterally offset from theaxis of the writing element and projecting therefrom in a directiontowards the inner end of the barrel,

a weight member mounted in the inner end porv f its outer end, anelongated writing element mounted in the barrel to move axially bygravity through said open outer end, means limiting axial movement ofthe writing element relative to the barrel, said barrel having abevelled interior outwardly facing shoulder between its ends, an armcarried by the inner end of the writing element, said arm beinglaterally offset from the axis of the writing element and projectingtherefrom in a direction towards the inner end of the barrel, a weightmember mounted in the inner end portion of the barrel to move axiallythereof by gravity, `said weight member having a hemispherical outer endportion engageable against the arm to urge the arm against the innersurface of the barrel at a point outwardly from the shoulder when theouter end of the barrel is pointed downwardly, and being disengageabletherefrom in response to pointing the outer end of the barrel upwardly.

-5. A pen device comprising a barrel tapering towards and having an openouter end, a sleeve mounted in the barrel at a point spaced inwardlyfrom its outer end, the sleeve having a reduced diameter portionproviding an outwardly facing bevelled annular shoulder, a writingelement having a tapered outer end portion and mounted to move bygravity axially in the barrel between a position in which its innervendengages said shoulder and a position in which its outer end engages theinner periphery of the opening in the outer end ofthe barrel, an armcarried by the inner end portion of the writing element, the arm beingoffset from the axis of the writing element and projecting therefrom ina direction towards the inner end of the barrel, a weight member mountedin the sleeve to move axially thereof by gravity, the weight memberhaving a reduced upper end portion engageable against a side surface ofthe arm'to urge the arm against the inner surface of the sleeve at apoint out- ,wardly from the shoulder when the outer end of the barrel ispointed downwardly and being movable by gravity out of said arm engagingposition when the outer end of the barrel is pointed upwardly.

6. A pen device comprising a barrel tapering towards and having an openouter end, a sleeve mounted in the barrel at a point spaced inwardlyfrom its outer end, the sleeve having a reduced diameter portionproviding an outwardly facing bevelled annular shoulder, an ink tubehaving a tapered outer end carrying a writing ball, a sleeve fittingover the inner end of the tube, an arm carried by the latter sleeve, thearm being laterally odset from the axis of the tube and projecting fromthe sleeve in a direction 'towards the inner end of the barrel, and acylindrical weight member mounted to move by gravity axially in thebarrel toward and away from said annular shoulder, the weight memberhaving a reduced diameter upper end portion engageable with a sidesurface of the arm to urge the arm against the inner surface of the rstmentioned sleeve when the barrel is disposed with its outer end pointeddownwardly, and when the inner end of said arm is against lsaid annularshoulder.

7. A writing device comprising a barrel open at its outer end andpresenting an interior outwardly facing annular shoulder, an elongatedwriting element having a writing implement on its outer end and anaxially oifset projection extending beyond its inner end, said elementbeing mounted in the barrel to move axially thereof through the open endof the barrel, and gravity movable means in the barrel operable when thebarrel has its open end pointed downwardly to hold said projectionagainst said shoulder, said means comprising a weighted spherical membermounted to move axially of the inner end portion of the barrel.

8. A gravity actuated, retractable point writing instrument comprising:a tubular cartridge for writing fluid, said cartridge being connected toa conical Writing head carrying a freely rotatable ball; an outer barrelprovided with a writing port and a cartridge chamber in communicationtherewith, the inner surfaces of the chamber adjacent the port beingadapted to form a seat for the writing head when in writing position; arecess in the barrel opposite said writing port and adapted toselectively receive the end of the tubular cartridge; a shoulder betweenthe recess and the chamber. said shoulder being spaced from and facingthe Writing port and engageable with the end of the cartridge when thewriting head thereof is in writing position in the port;

and a weighted member slidably posmoned in the recess, cooperating meanson said. member and said cartridge mutually engageable when said memberis moved to the end of said recess nearest said shoulder. to cause theend of said cartridge to engage said shoulder, said cooperating meansbeing completely disengaged when said member is moved in said recessaway from said shoulder.

FRANK C. WALLACE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,408,256 Florman Sept. 24, 1946FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 52,733 Germany Aug. 6, 1890

